Modern Western society is characterized by an increased consumption of animals, which has led to consequences in the form of an intensified exploitation of animals and the environment. The purpose of the dissertation is to examine the processes by which certain animals are made into food, and how power structures between humans and animals are maintained or challenged in Swedish organic organizations. In Sweden, organic certifications offer more ethical and sustainable alternatives for consuming animals. Organic animal production provide openings for destabilizations of power relations, while at the same time also calling attention to the inherent problems of ethical consumption of another being. The study demonstrates how the organizations create the image of organic animal production as sustainable and compassionate. The organic organizations hide compromises between financial gain and animal welfare, as certain aspects of animal welfare and environmental concerns are emphasized, while others are overlooked. Thus, human and financial interests continue to shape the relationship with animals in the organic food industry. 

The study shows how the Swedish organic food sector uses the subjectivities of animals as a tool to transform them into objects for consumption. The animals' agencies both influence and are shaped by the processes in which they are made into food. The study emphasizes a perspective on consumption of animals as being the result of larger infrastructures and a wider societal context, rather than individual choices and attitudes. The dissertation provides an in-depth analysis of how categorizations of certain animals as food are institutionalized, and how this come to be regarded as an objective reality.